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Thread: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

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    Formerly known as Andehh Andeh13's Avatar
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    24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    What is the cheapest graphic card that can power a 24" monitor? Iv just bought a 8800GTS & im having second thoughts seeing as im only a casual gamer. Im wondering if iv spent too much for someone who only plays games once-twice a week. Only games i really play atm, are HL2, BF2 and Tiberium Wars.

    I hate having a conscience

    Cheers guys

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    Get in the van. Fraz's Avatar
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    What a bizarre thing to worry about.

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    Formerly known as Andehh Andeh13's Avatar
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I know, but im a student and iv got an expensive 6 months ahead of me. You'd think with 4 pieces of coursework on at the moment id have better things to worry about!

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    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    One that will support the native resolution of the monitor - a Nvidia 7300 costs from about £22 (depending on RAM indstalled) from Scan.

    A 512Mb XFX 7300GT is on "Today Only" at just under £35, a 8400GS is even cheaper at just under £25.
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    There is no one card that fits it all: depending on the game, a modest graphic card will be able to cope fine, or not at all at 1900x1200 - the only semi-constant is the amount of memory recommended at that resolution (look for over 256MB).

    I can't comment on Tiberium Wars since it's rarely benchmarked. Then again, it's a pretty old game, so any modern card should do. A 3850 would've would've been plentiful for BF2 with all eye candy on, while the 8800GT would've managed over 60fps in Episode 2 (more demanding than HL2 AFAIK), again with all eye candy on.

    So I'd say that you probably went for something well above your bare necessities (i.e. the games you play now). But if it's any consolation, the card is about 10-15% faster than the 8800GT, so technically, it is less likely to struggle if you do end up playing something else at a later date. How much did you pay for the GTS? In terms of bang for bucks, it's not quite spot in the middle, but that's mostly because the competition is very tight between all cards between 3850 to the GTS. On a more positive note, I'd say there are no 'bad buys' amongst all those cards - the choices are really between 'great' and 'excellent' once you consider the cost of the GTX/Ultra... and dare I say, even the X2 (which I class as 'good'). Now stop the procrastinating and get back to work (just see it as an 'early reward' ).

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I`d say keep it. You can get a new 8800GTS for £190, so say you sell it for £160 & then spend £35 on a cheap `card you`d have £125 in your pocket. But you probably won`t be happy & because of the overwhelming depression (exacerbated by the stress of coursework deadlines), you`ll either end up in some student pub (painted yellow with lots of chalkboards) & blow the money on Flirtinis, wake up on a park bench with a traffic cone stuck on your head.....Or you`ll take up a peculiar drug habit which will eat your student loan, or the Scientologists will get you.

    Whatever happens it doesn`t look good & will cost you more money & you won`t get your coursework done.

    I`d better go to work now.........................

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I would get a HD3850pro for occasional gaming. The 512mb Should be able to get one for ~£110

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I have seen secondhand HD3850 512mb cards going for about £90 on Ebay so this maybe OK for occasional gaming. However before selling your card think of how much money you may lose!! In the end it maybe worth keeping the 8800GTS for a few quid more!!

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I believe he's using DSA regs to send it back so just the postage costs.

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    Formerly known as Andehh Andeh13's Avatar
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    A close family friend bought it for me through his company, so i got it Tax free (saved about £30-40). So value for money wise its a good buy. I also spoke to him about it & he said that in the future i wont be able to save that sort of money so i might aswell spend it now & have a card that lasts me an extra 6-12months, rather then getting a 8600Gt or something similar now then wanting to replace it in a years time.

    Was just early morning jitters i think! Cheers all the same guys!

    edit: Im probably doing myself a favor anyway, money saved by sending it back would only be converted into beer & drank in large quanitties! Therefore, buying this graphics card IS actually good for my health!
    Last edited by Andeh13; 08-02-2008 at 06:32 PM. Reason: to work out if i can get reimboursed by the NHS..

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I thought computers and computer parts could only be claimed VAT free for 40%? - something like due to companies upgrading PCs every year as expenses rather than paying higher profit tax?

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    If a company pay to be VAT registered you can buy things VAT free I believe. But for personal use as this seems to be it is a big TUT TUT and considered tax evasion

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    Quote Originally Posted by staffsMike View Post
    If a company pay to be VAT registered you can buy things VAT free I believe. But for personal use as this seems to be it is a big TUT TUT and considered tax evasion
    Yeah, but what I'm saying is I thought they put special conditions on computer stuff due to companies taking advantage of it and using it as an excuse to buy new PCs every year under expenses rather than going over a certain figure of profit - like companies give to charity to avoid paying too much tax.

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    Formerly known as Andehh Andeh13's Avatar
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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    He updates all his computers every couple of years and i gave him my old computer to save him buyign 1. He then offered 2 get me a new graphics card as a thank you, providing i gave him the money minus tax. Technically still tax evasion but i doubt the government loose out on much.

    If your worried about the government loosing money, you dont want to see what we students do with our student loans. Its enough to make grown tax payers whimper!

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    I am a student with a loan

    I just have a friend who did what I'm talking about on a placement and was ignorant enough to think it was legal..

    People do it everyday, doesn't make it right

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    Re: 24" Monitors - Whats the cheapest graphic card?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andehh View Post
    If your worried about the government loosing money, you dont want to see what we students do with our student loans. Its enough to make grown tax payers whimper!
    Give it a couple of years, your going to do your fair share of whimpering, and then some. Spend Spend Spend while you can i say. And then when you have rinsed your student grant, apply for hardship and spend some more! May as well your going to spend the rest of your life paying through the a*se for it.
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